Georgia Ports Authority wants to deepen the Savannah River channel to accommodate larger container ships, according to The Associated Press.
The authority's executive director, Doug Marchand, said in the report that currently more than 50 per cent of container ships calling on Savannah "are what we call 'tidally constrained', meaning they can't carry full loads at all tides".
He said this could discourage major international players from continuing to grow their operations in Savannah, unless the river channel was deepened to 48 feet.
The Savannah River forms the border with Georgia and South Carolina, which is working on its own port expansion.
Charlie Sutlive, executive director of the Savannah Maritime Association, said more than 70 per cent of cargo worldwide was carried on container ships, a number that's expected to grow because it's cost efficient. "More and more companies are recognising that containers are the way to go," he said.
In 2006, Georgia Ports Authority handled more than two million TEU, becoming the fourth-busiest port in the country.
According to the American Association of Port Authorities, shipping companies can save as much as US$4.5 million per voyage by carrying a bit more than double their load. But larger ships need more water to safely navigate the river channel and wouldn't be bound by tides as they are now in Savannah.
The authority's executive director, Doug Marchand, said in the report that currently more than 50 per cent of container ships calling on Savannah "are what we call 'tidally constrained', meaning they can't carry full loads at all tides".
He said this could discourage major international players from continuing to grow their operations in Savannah, unless the river channel was deepened to 48 feet.
The Savannah River forms the border with Georgia and South Carolina, which is working on its own port expansion.
Charlie Sutlive, executive director of the Savannah Maritime Association, said more than 70 per cent of cargo worldwide was carried on container ships, a number that's expected to grow because it's cost efficient. "More and more companies are recognising that containers are the way to go," he said.
In 2006, Georgia Ports Authority handled more than two million TEU, becoming the fourth-busiest port in the country.
According to the American Association of Port Authorities, shipping companies can save as much as US$4.5 million per voyage by carrying a bit more than double their load. But larger ships need more water to safely navigate the river channel and wouldn't be bound by tides as they are now in Savannah.